In its first road loss of the 2012 season, the Boston University field hockey team fell to The College of William & Mary Friday night in Williamsburg, Va. The score was 1–0 when the final whistle blew, the only goal coming from Tribe senior Maria Caro in the second period.
The theme of the first period was tension. BU (5–2) dominated in the attacking third, at least in terms of possession. The Terriers had only two shots on goal, but they were rarely on defense.
Sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Cerda Eimbcke did not have to make a single save. It seemed just a matter of time before they would convert because of the difference in possession, but pressure from the Tribe (6–1), however brief it may have been, was obviously dangerous.
The main problem for the Terriers was unsuccessful attempts at the net, an issue that remained prevalent until the match was over.
“We pressed them well. We did a good job of keeping the ball in our attacking zone, but we didn’t do a good job really manufacturing quality corners [and] quality shots,” said BU coach Sally Starr.
As halftime grew closer with no change on the scoreboard, emotions began to show as Tribe midfielder Leah Zamesnik received a green card. The teamlater received two more cards in the second half: a green card for junior Giovanna Golen and a yellow card for senior Christine Johnson.
It was in the second half that William & Mary found their stride on both sides of the ball. Its strategy involved, simply enough, high pressure.
It kept the Terriers constantly fighting just to maintain possession, and when they could not keep the ball, they were always on their heels trying to stop each aggressive attack.
An initially timid performance on paper began to show a second half in the Tribe’s control. Goaltender Catherine Johnson made four saves, and the players outshot Boston University 5–4.
All the pressure finally showed on the scoreboard when Caro’s shot found its way past BU senior goalkeeper Jess Maroney just after the 42-minute mark.
The shot seemed too high though to those on the Terrier sideline, causing frustration for the entire team.
Starr said the goal was caused in part by small lapses in judgement on the Terriers’ part.
“We just weren’t making good decisions on the ball,” Starr said. “We were being too direct, playing into their press as opposed to working the ball around their press, which is a strength of ours.”
After the goal, BU held its composure. The players did not become overly aggressive, nor did they commit any fouls worthy of a card.
They continued to attack, but they continued to attack straight through their opponent’s press. Coach Starr said they played “like [they] had blinders.”
The fact that they were not discouraged by the goal kept the game competitive, but the same mistakes in front of the net prevented any points from going up on the board in favor of the Terriers. The BU defense remained solid, and the offense kept its pressure. However, it was not enough to change the result.
To prepare for Tuesday’s away game against the University of Massachusetts, Starr said the Terriers would have to improve mentally and technically on both offense and defense.
“[The game] was frustrating,” said Coach Starr. “On the flip side [though] we had our opportunities to score goals … We were up against a really good opponent, and we just didn’t play as well as I know we can.”
